Liverpool and Chelsea battle to land Barca wonderkid striker

WANTED: Chelsea and Liverpool are in a race against time to change Barcelona starlet Seung Woo Lee's mind [GETTY]

Reports in Spain claim that both title chasing teams want to sign the young striker to his first professional contract.

Both clubs have been successful in snaffling up other promising cadets from the Nou Camp, but will have to move fast if they want to do the same with Woo Lee.

The youngster is understood to be close to completing a deal with Barcelona, who has also been offered bumper deals from the English teams.

Barcelona are known to have lost several of their most promising stars to their European rivals in recent years, with Julio Pleguezuelo, Josimar and Canos leaving Spain to join Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.

If Liverpool and Chelsea's advances are thwarted, Barca could formally sign the Korean as early as next week.

Seung Woo Lee has been touted as one of the top young Asian talents of recent times, having been discovered at the Catalunya-Korea Cup by the Catalans and currently trains and plays for the La Liga champs' youth side.

Chelsea turned to several youth targets in the January transfer window, completing deals for Burkina Faso international Bertrand Traore, and promising French centre back Kurt Zouma from St. Etienne.